NCW concern over emergency contraceptive pills

Oral emergency contraceptive pills gaining popularity among young girls
Advertisements quite misleading and its side-effects are undisclosed

NEW DELHI: Concerned over the indiscriminate use of emergency contraceptive pills sold across the country, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has written to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Medical Council of India seeking their opinion in curbing the promotion of these pills.


In a statement issued here, the NCW has said that it had been brought to their notice that wide scale advertisement campaign in favour of oral emergency contraceptive pills was being carried out by the pharmaceutical companies.
These pills are gaining popularity among young girls despite repeated warning from doctors against the use, the statement said.
“With concern, it is seen that the drug is being projected as an after saviour of unsafe sex. The advertisements of these pills are quite misleading and its side-effects as well as efficacy are not at all being disclosed,” the statement said.
It is being projected as an alternative to the safe sex method and thus may lead to an everlasting impact on the younger generation and in turn result in the government and the society losing its battle against AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases besides putting the women through grave emotional and physical trauma and everlasting effect of hormonal imbalance, the Commission said.
Over-the-counter drug
Pointing out that these pills were designed for women over 25 years and accordingly it is felt that it may have dangerous side-effects on teenagers and on women using it too regularly, the panel has further said that this is an over-the-counter drug and hence did not require any medical prescription.
It is dangerous because emergency pills do not prevent sexually transmitted disease like HIV/AIDS, the statement added.

The Hindu online edition 23.03.2010
http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/23/stories/2010022358442000.htm

What is child prostitution?

Child prostitution is the practice whereby a child is used by others for sexual activities in return for remuneration or any other form of consideration. The remuneration or other consideration could be provided to the child or to another person. A child abuser or a pimp can be the organizer.

According to World Forum of Child Labour Convention, 1999, of the International Labour Organization, the use, procuring or offering a child for prostitution is one of the worst forms of child labour and exploitation.

Child prostitution is a Taboo theme for the normal public and they also know less about this. But the customers or the abusers also come from all the societies. The children are the victim mostly because they are physically weak and helpless to defend themselves.

The estimated number of sex-workers in India is more than a million and 30% are believed to be children. It is increasing around 10% every year. The situation in Mumbai is extreme but it is prevalent in all the big cities. It may be different in Hyderabad than in Chennai and depends on various factors.

The police are in a position to crack down child prostitution in India without any problem. It does not materialize because of the lack of places everywhere for the victims. Place to live, school education, social security and a fair chance for the integration is the urgent need. Here, politics, industries and the society must have the will and courage to arrange to realize this.

It is not mainly sex tourism which creates child prostitution in India like in many developing countries. It is mostly gender discrimination and trafficking of children as well as selling children from various sources, may be from parents or husbands. Incest also plays a role here.

The myth that a man can get rid off HIV/AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases if he sleeps with a virgin has increased the demand for virgins and children. This is particularly worst in Africa. The result is an increase in the number of HIV infected women as well as their infected children. They pay this high price although they are innocent.

Child prostitution is not only a problem of big cities but it is present everywhere including rural areas in the world. In most of the countries there are very strict laws against child prostitution or trafficking but in reality it sees entirely different. Unfortunately, the men who have to guarantee these rights are also the men with weakness. It is applicable to developed countries also in every field. They are not weak men; I would rather say they are mentally sick men with less chance to have a normal relationship with women or old. There are several examples throughout the world for this.

Poverty, lack of love and affection in the family, loneliness, problems at school and alcohol and drug addiction are the main reasons which push children to this evil. The average age of a child prostitute is 13 years. We do not go in detail to their health damage physically as well as psychologically, but these are very serious. A child prostitute becomes a whore when she becomes an adult and mostly the fate of her girl child is also the same.

In Africa this problem has the following grounds:

The myth about virgin and HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases
Pornography and everything extreme connected to this
Demand for black children from North American and European men for sexual purposes. Here, most of the victims are girl-children but there are also male-teenage victims who serve women.

Not to forget the poverty or civil war connected crimes to children, the weakest member of the society.

Moreover, we should not forget the age of consent for sex in many countries is 13 years old and 13 year old is for me a child. It is a shame.

For further details read my book “Sexual Abuse of Children and Sex Health Education” published in Aaron Verlag Publishers Private Limited. The original is in English and the Tamil translation is also available. It is also available as e-book. For further particulars visit www.aaronverlag.com.

What are STDs?

STDs are sexually transmitted diseases. These are called venereal diseases (VD) till 1990s. These are also called STIs, sexually transmitted infections.

Sexually transmitted diseases are infections that can be transferred through sexual contact, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex and anal sex. Heterosexuals and homosexuals are affected by sexually transmitted diseases.

There are more than 25 diseases which are transmitted through sexual activity. The most common STDs include:

• HIV/AIDS
• Bacterial vaginosis
• Genital herpes
• Chlamydia
• Candidiasis or yeast infection
• Gonorrhea
• Syphilis
• Human papillomavirus
• Trichomoniasis
• Hepatitis B

A person may be infected without symptoms and may potentially others. When the drug addicts use the same needles the possibility of the infection is there. In all the cases where body fluids are transferred one body to another the chance of infection is always there. This is applicable to operations, child birth and even breastfeeding.

Not all STDs could be cured. Often the women show no symptoms and if not treated this may lead to infertility. I need not tell anything about the danger of HIV/AIDS.

The best way to prevent STDs is to prevent sexual contact with infected persons. Use of condom is the most effective method to prevent STDs. Oral contraceptives do not prevent STDs. Persons who change their partners often and homosexuals must use condom always.

Child Prostitution

Child prostitution is the practice whereby a child is used by others for sexual activities in return for remuneration or any other form of consideration. The remuneration or other consideration could be provided to the child or to another person. A child abuser or a pimp can be the organizer.

According to World Forum of Child Labour Convention, 1999, of the International Labour Organization, the use, procuring or offering a child for prostitution is one of the worst forms of child labour and exploitation.

Child prostitution is a Taboo theme for the normal public and they also know less about this. But the customers or the abusers also come from all the societies. The children are the victim mostly because they are physically weak and helpless to defend themselves.

The estimated number of sex-workers in India is more than 10 lakhs and 30% are believed to be children. It is increasing around 10% every year. The situation in Mumbai is extreme but it is prevalent in all the big cities. It may be different in Hyderabad than in Chennai and depends on various factors.

The police are in a position to crack down child prostitution in India without any problem. It does not materialize because of the lack of places everywhere for the victims. Place to live, school education, social security and a fair chance for the integration are the urgent needs. Here, politics, industries and the society must have the will and courage to arrange to realize this.

It is not mainly sex tourism which creates child prostitution in India like in many developing countries. It is mostly gender discrimination and trafficking of children as well as selling children from various sources, may be from parents or husbands. Incest also plays a role here.

The myth that a man can get rid off HIV/AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases if he sleeps with a virgin has increased the demand for virgins and children. This is particularly worst in Africa. The result is an increase in the number of HIV infected women as well as their infected children. They pay this high price although they are innocent.

Child prostitution is not only a problem of big cities but it is present everywhere including rural areas in the world. In most of the countries there are very strict laws against child prostitution or trafficking but in reality it sees entirely different. Unfortunately, the men who have to guarantee these rights are also the men with weakness. It is applicable to developed countries also in every field. They are not weak men; I would rather say they are mentally sick men with less chance to have a normal relationship with women or old. There are several examples throughout the world for this.

Poverty, lack of love and affection in the family, loneliness, problems at school and alcohol and drug addiction are the main reasons which push children to this evil. The average age of a child prostitute is 13 years. We do not go in detail to their health damage physically as well as mentally, but these are very serious. A child prostitute becomes a whore when she becomes an adult and mostly the fate of her girl child is also the same.

In Africa this problem has the following grounds:

• The myth about virgin and HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases
• Pornography and everything extreme connected to this
• Demand for black children from North American and European men for sexual purposes. Here, most of the victims are girl-children but there are also male-teenage victims who serve women.
• Not to forget the poverty or civil war connected crimes to children, the weakest member of the society.